


Change (Slowly) Comes

by shutterbug_12 (shutterbug)



Category: West Wing
Genre: Democrat, Gen, Office, Politics, Republican, Washington D.C.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-09
Updated: 2010-12-09
Packaged: 2017-10-13 11:55:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/137065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shutterbug/pseuds/shutterbug_12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"So what do you <i>really</i> think of that Republican girl?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Change (Slowly) Comes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [magisterequitum](https://archiveofourown.org/users/magisterequitum/gifts).



> Written for [](http://magisterequitum.livejournal.com/profile)[**magisterequitum**](http://magisterequitum.livejournal.com/) at the [Awesome Ladies Ficathon](http://ineffort.livejournal.com/199061.html).

On her first day, whispers followed Ainsley from room to room. Stares as she walked, her face forward and shoulders squared, her box of personal items pressed tightly to her chest. "That's her," voices repeated, low and quiet. "The Re _pub_ lican." Republican, spat at her like a dirty word. She deciphered the subtext: spy, traitor, fascist.

As she followed Leo through the counsel's office, she scanned the staff with peripheral glances. Self-proclaimed Democrats eyed her with disdain, their desks adorned with tiny American flags and miniature donkey figures. Several times, she nearly paused, a question held behind a polite smile. _Would you serve under a Republican president?_ But she stayed close to Leo, repressing the lecture that her father had never spared her: patriotism should stretch beyond the limits of the Party, and _country_ mattered more than Democrat or Republican. Country mattered more.

Instead, she led by example from her basement office. She silently launched a campaign of bipartisan cooperation that only reached a few ears. Most staffers still raised their eyebrows. Ainsley still overheard assistants when they asked, "So what do you _really_ think of that Republican girl?" But now Sam, Josh, CJ, even Toby, even Mr. _Tribbey_ \--they all had similar answers.

"She's infuriating."

"She's crazy."

"Absolutely and certifiably backwards."

"Right-wing nutcase."

"She drives me up a _wall_."

"But--"

"--I hate to admit it--"

"--once you get to know her--"

"--she's pretty damn--"

"--extraordinary."


End file.
